Denver Broncos starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has entered the NFL’s concussion protocol and coach Vic Fangio believes he will be “highly unlikely” to play against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16.
That means third-year quarterback Drew Lock is poised to play this weekend, marking his first start of the 2021 season. Lock has stepped in for an injured Bridgewater three times this season and he didn’t play particularly well in those situations, but Fangio believes a full week of first-team practice could help the young QB fare better this week.
“I hope after a week full of practice he’ll be much more comfortable and much more efficient in the whole operation,” Fangio said. “His accuracy will be better — everything will be better.”
Lock went 6-of-12 passing for 88 yards with one touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. He also lost a key fumble in Denver’s 15-10 loss.
“I saw a couple good throws,” Fangio said of Lock’s performance. “Obviously, the throw to Tim [Patrick] for the touchdown was a nice throw. [He had] a couple other nice ones [and] couple other ones that were off target just a little bit. Hopefully with a week’s worth of practice, he’ll be much better and prepared.”
The Broncos lost to the Raiders 34-24 earlier this year with Bridgewater starting. Lock is 1-2 against Las Vegas in his career, with four touchdowns, four interceptions and three fumbles in those three contests.
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